GO TIGERS!

For the first time in what seems like forever the World Series will have meaning for me beyond another week of baseball.
In my heart I am a Brewers fan. In the mid 80s my friend Mandy was the only other girl I knew who loved baseball. She was a Baltimore Orioles fan. Those years the Orioles kept beating out the Brewers for the American League East. I became a Brewers fan in self defense. It stuck. Yes, I did have to explain this to the Brewers fans I spoke with at the games in Denver this summer. The best thing about the league realignments and moving my Brewers to the National League is that they no longer compete directly with the Tigers.
The Detroit Tigers are the team of my blood, my inheritance on the maternal line. I have a 101-year-old Great Aunt who has been a Tigers fan all of her life. It runs in the family. What really solidified my love for this team was the year they were just short of being the worst team ever. I was saddened when they failed to lose their last few games in 2003. If you're going to fail, fail big!
The success of my boys from Detroit have also given me and my oldest brother more common ground. It used to just be the Utes, of whom I will not speak tonight. But the Tigers have gotten us on the same page on something else. He even sent me by birthday present early - a 1901 replica Tigers cap. Very, very cool. I grew up in the 80s, the gothic D is still just a bit too "Magnum PI" for my taste.
I've been working on my joy. Baseball is one of my joys. I predicted a Tigers/Cardinals World Series back in May or June, 6 games, Tigers win. I have witnesses. So far I'm half way there. And I win $2 from my darling A's fan. I'll probably end up buying him a scotch to drown his sorrows and be $3.00 behind with the tip. But that's ok. He'll get his $2 back from a co-worker for a bet they made in July on that Tigers/Cards series.
My poor Dad, 3 kids and not a Cardinals fan among us. At least he trained us to love the UofU with all of our hearts.

A touch of fall

I'm listening to Vivaldi's autumn, still drinking coffee at 10:15 pm and decided I needed this poem. The German is better, but this translation is the best I've found. It's probably the saddest poem I love.

Autumn Day

Rainer Maria Rilke
Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.
Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine.
Whoever has no house now, will never have one.
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
Will sit, read, write long letters through the evening,
and wander on the boulevards, up and down,
restlessly, while the dry leaves are blowing.
(translated from the German by Stephen Mitchell)


Herbsttag
Herr: Es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren
und auf den Fluren lass die Winde los.

Befiel den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.
(Rainer Maria Rilke)